Sir Bradley Wiggins has been withdrawn from the Giro d'Italia after Team Sky
doctors advised him not to continue cycling with a chest infection.

Wiggins endured a difficult stage 12 on Thursday that saw him slip off the back of the peloton near the end, and Sky's medical staff monitored his condition overnight before taking the decision on Friday morning.

The 2012 Tour de France champion's infection worsened and doctors pulled him from the start of Friday's 13th stage from Busseto to Cherasco.

Team Sky will now ride in support of Colombian Rigoberto Urán, who currently sits in third place overall – some two minutes and four seconds off the race lead.

Team Sky chief Sir Dave Brailsford said: “We monitored Bradley overnight and this morning we’ve withdrawn him from the Giro after consulting the team doctor.

"His chest infection has been getting worse and our primary concern is always the health of our riders.

“Bradley will return to the UK today for treatment and to rest and we hope to have him back on the road as soon as possible.

“As a passionate racer he wanted to continue but he is simply unable to do so on medical grounds.”

Defending champion Ryder Hesjedal has also withdrawn, the Canadian's Garmin-Sharp team announced before the start of stage 13.

Hesjedal had slipped to 38th place after 12 stages, 32 minutes and 55 seconds down on overall leader Vincenzo Nibali of Italy after suffering badly in the first mountain stages of the race last weekend.

"It's heartbreaking," Hesjedal said. "I want to be here for my team and for all the people who have supported me to get me here to this point.

"I built my entire season around the Giro and I came here feeling great, but I have been suffering since the (stage eight) TT (individual time trial).

"We're working on it but we're not sure what's wrong. There's a virus that's been going around, so it could be that, or severe allergies."